Alex sat up slowly, still feeling the faint thrum of Origin Power in his chest. He stared at the recovery estimate floating in front of him and muttered to himself, "Two days… that's a long time."
He still had training to do. More importantly, there was the assassination attempt he needed to investigate. He couldn't keep hiding in the mansion while his enemies plotted against him outside. He needed to get out there, find clues, and start pushing back before they made their next move.
As he thought about that, he called out again, "System, if I use Origin Power, how much time will it take for my Soul Power to recover to 5.0?"
The blue screen updated instantly with new calculations:
[Based on System calculations:
Natural recovery to Soul Power 10.0: 47 hours, 12 minutes. Using Targeted Growth skill + Origin Power investment: 1 day (24 hours). Recovering only to half (Soul Power 5): approximately 12 hours.]
Alex frowned as he read the numbers. "One day with Targeted Growth… or twelve hours for half recovery. Still not ideal, but better than waiting two days doing nothing."
He clenched his fist, feeling the dense, primordial energy pulse gently in response. Using it would speed things up, but it was risky with his Soul Power already sitting at a dangerous 0.1. One misstep and he could push himself into soul collapse.
Still, staying passive wasn't an option.
"Fine," he said under his breath. "Twelve hours for half recovery it is. I'll use Targeted Growth carefully and get back on my feet faster. Then I'm leaving this place to find out who wants me dead."
He took a deep breath, mentally activating the Targeted Growth passive and directing it toward his Soul stat. A warm, steady flow of Origin Power began trickling from his core, feeding the recovery process.
The System immediately updated:
[Soul Power: 0.1 → 0.12] [Estimated time to Soul Power 5.0: 11 hours, 47 minutes]
Alex nodded to himself, satisfied with the small but visible progress. It would drain some Origin Power, but it was manageable if he didn't push too hard.
He continued resting in the forest clearing for another hour. By the end of that hour, his Soul Power had steadily climbed to 0.5. Feeling slightly more stable, he stood up, stretched his stiff muscles, and made his way back to the mansion.
Once inside his room, exhaustion finally caught up with him. He collapsed onto the bed and slept for a straight 12 hours.
When he woke up, the moon light was already filtering through the curtains. Alex rubbed his eyes and immediately called out, "System, open Status Window."
A familiar translucent blue screen appeared:
[User: Alex Anderson]
[Status: Awakener 1]
[Strength: 8.9]
[Defense: 8.5]
[Endurance: 8.2]
[Mind: 10.0]
[Soul: 5.1]
[Origin Power: 3.5]
[Powers: Steady Growth, Targeted Growth]
Alex's eyes widened in surprise as he stared at the numbers.
"What…? I only used 1 Origin Power to restore 5 Soul Power?" he muttered, frowning. "Didn't I use nearly 10 Soul Power just to gain 4.5 Origin Power earlier? This doesn't add up…"
He sat up straighter on the bed, doubt creeping into his mind. After a moment, he asked aloud:
"System, what happened? Didn't I use 10 Soul Power to get 4.5 Origin Power? Now I only used 1 Origin Power to recover 5 Soul Power. Doesn't this mean I can refill my Soul Power to 10 using only 2 Origin Power?"
The System responded promptly, its usual calm blue text appearing on the screen:
[User did not convert 1 Origin Power directly into 5 Soul Power. You used the Targeted Growth skill in combination with 1 unit of Origin Power to accelerate natural soul recovery. There is nothing illogical happening here. Soul Power was already recovering naturally over time. The combination of the skill and Origin Power simply made the process significantly faster and more efficient.]
Alex leaned back against the headboard, processing the explanation. He let out a slow breath, feeling a mix of relief and lingering confusion.
"So it's not a direct conversion… it's more like using Origin Power as fuel to boost the recovery rate," he said quietly to himself. "That makes sense. Still… the efficiency is crazy. If I'm careful, I might be able to keep my Soul Power topped up without completely draining myself."
He glanced at his Origin Power sitting at 3.5 and made a mental note to be more cautious. The power was incredibly potent, but it wasn't infinite, and the risks of pushing too hard were still fresh in his mind.
With his Soul now safely above 5.0, Alex felt much more confident. The heavy fatigue that had weighed him down earlier was mostly gone, replaced by a quiet, steady strength flowing through his body.
He stood up from the bed, clenched his fists a few times, feeling the new power humming gently in his core, and looked toward the window. The sky outside had already darkened — he had slept through the entire day. Stars were beginning to appear above the mansion grounds.
"Alright… no more relaxing," he muttered. "It's time to test my powers properly."
Since the moment he had become an Awakener, he had never truly pushed his abilities to their limit. Now that his stats had jumped and his mana had been replaced by Origin Power, he needed to understand exactly what he was capable of. Only then could he be sure whether he was strong enough for the tasks ahead — especially investigating the assassination attempt.
Alex walked to the door and opened it quietly. A silver tray with dinner sat neatly on the floor just outside: roasted chicken, fresh bread, vegetables, and a small dessert. Beside it were two folded notes.
He picked everything up and carried it back inside, placing the tray on the small table near the window. First, he opened the note from Catherine:
"Alex, You looked completely exhausted when you returned, so we didn't want to disturb you. Please eat and rest well. If you need anything, just call for me. — Catherine"
The second note was shorter, clearly written in a more formal hand, probably from one of the senior servants or guards:
"Young Master, The household is relieved you are safe. We have increased patrols around the mansion tonight. Do not hesitate to summon assistance if anything feels wrong. Rest easy."
There was also a note from Ethan:
"Alex, The sparring today was boring without you. I kept bullying the other three, haha. Make sure you relax so we can spar again soon. Also… how you saved us and reacted during the incident with the car today was amazing, man. — Ethan"
Emma had left a note as well, her handwriting neat and slightly shy:
"Alex, I heard what happened to you. Ethan told me you are fine, and I really hope that's true. We all like you a lot and are waiting for you to return to train us very soon. — Emma"
Alex smiled faintly as he read both messages. It seemed everyone was worried after the "accident," but they had chosen to let him sleep undisturbed. A small warmth spread in his chest at their concern.
He quickly ate the dinner while it was still warm, savoring the simple but comforting meal. Once finished, he wiped his hands and stood up, feeling refreshed.
"Time to see what this new power can really do," he whispered.
Instead of heading downstairs, Alex slipped out through the large window of his room, landing lightly on the grass below. The mansion grounds were quiet under the moonlight, with only the distant sound of night insects and the soft rustle of leaves. Perfect for testing without drawing too much attention.
He moved deeper into the garden, away from the main building, until he reached a secluded clearing surrounded by tall trees and decorative boulders.
He moved deeper into the garden until he reached a secluded clearing surrounded by tall trees and large decorative boulders.
Alex took a deep breath and muttered, "Let's start with my physical ability."
The status window appeared again, the numbers glowing softly under the moonlight.
[User: Alex Anderson]
[Status: Awakener 1]
[Strength: 8.9]
[Defense: 8.5]
[Endurance: 8.2]
[Mind: 10.0]
[Soul: 5.1]
[Origin Power: 3.5]
[Powers: Steady Growth, Targeted Growth]
"Alright… 8.9 Strength. Roughly nine times stronger than a normal person. Let's see what that actually means."
He walked over to one of the largest decorative boulders — a heavy granite rock that easily weighed around 800–900 kg (almost a ton). A normal strong man could barely budge it. Alex gripped the sides, planted his feet, and lifted.
The boulder rose smoothly off the ground. It still had noticeable weight, but it felt manageable — like lifting a heavy barbell at the gym. He managed to press it overhead with both arms, held it for a few seconds, then carefully set it back down. His muscles burned slightly, but he wasn't struggling.
"Damn… I could probably bench press 400–500 kg now," he whispered, surprised. "That's car-lifting territory if I really push it."
Next, he moved to a thick young oak tree, its trunk about 40 cm thick. He placed both hands on it, took a stance, and pushed hard.
Crack… CRACK.
The tree groaned loudly, then snapped near the base with a sharp sound. It didn't explode or fall like a matchstick — it required real effort and a second push —. The tree toppled over with a heavy crash.
Alex looked at his hands, breathing a little harder. "Okay, nine times strength is no joke. I could rip open a locked metal gate or flip a car if I needed to."
For the Defense test, he went into the gardening shed and took the gun that Catherine give him. He loaded one round, pointed it at his forearm from close range, and hesitated for a second.
"System, record this. Defense test."
Bang!
The bullet slammed into his arm. It stung sharply — like getting hit hard with a thick wooden stick — but it didn't penetrate. The round flattened against his skin and dropped to the ground, leaving only a small red welt that was already fading.
Alex winced and rubbed the spot. "That hurt more than I expected… but no blood, no hole. 8.5 Defense means normal bullets can bruise me, but they won't kill me easily."
He fired one more round into his thigh. Same result — painful impact, but the bullet deformed on contact. He could definitely tank a few shots now, though it would still hurt like hell and leave nasty bruises.
Finally, he tested Endurance.
Alex started sprinting around the garden perimeter at full speed. He ran for a solid eight minutes without slowing down, his breathing staying controlled the entire time. A normal untrained person would have collapsed or been gasping after two minutes. His legs felt strong and steady.
To push further, he picked up the same heavy boulder and carried it while doing laps. He managed twenty full laps around the clearing before his muscles started burning properly and sweat poured down his back. Even then, he wasn't completely exhausted — he could feel he still had plenty left in the tank.
"Endurance 8.2… I won't tire out quickly in a fight. That's going to be huge."
Alex stood in the middle of the clearing, looking at the snapped tree and the dented boulder. The destruction wasn't apocalyptic, but it was clearly beyond anything a normal human — or even a trained athlete — could do.
He flexed his fingers, feeling the new power coursing through his body.
"Nine times stronger… It's a massive jump, but I'm not invincible. I still need to be smart about this."
He glanced toward the mansion, making sure no one had come to investigate the noise yet.
"Physical test done. Now… let's see how Origin Power feels when I'm not on the verge of passing out."
Alex stood in the center of the moonlit clearing and raised his right hand, palm facing outward. He focused on the dense, primordial energy resting quietly in his chest and tried to push it outward.
Nothing happened.
No ripple. No golden light. No burst of power at all.
He tried again, concentrating harder this time. The Origin Power stirred slightly inside him but refused to leave his body or take any shape.
"What…?" Alex frowned, lowering his hand. "System, why can't I use Origin Power? I don't feel like I can do anything with it."
The translucent blue screen appeared instantly:
[Current Origin-compatible abilities: None] [Origin Power cannot be actively used without a proper skill or technique.]
Alex blinked. "None? So all this power is just sitting inside me uselessly?"
[Correct. Origin Power is raw primordial energy. Without a structured method to guide, shape, and release it, it will remain dormant in your core.]
Alex let out a frustrated sigh and asked the important question:
"System, how can I use Origin Power? How do I gain skills or techniques for it?"
The System responded with detailed text:
[There are three main ways to acquire Origin Power skills and techniques:
Skill Creation – Use Targeted Growth while meditating deeply on Origin Power. This is currently the most viable path for you. It has a chance to naturally create basic Origin skills. The process is slow and consumes Soul Power.
Origin Comprehension – Deeply contemplate the true nature of Origin. Breakthroughs in understanding can unlock abilities naturally.
External Acquisition – Obtain Origin manuals, inheritances, or guidance. However, this path is extremely difficult.
Note: Other Awakeners do not possess Origin Power. Origin Power is the highest form of energy, normally used only by primordial creatures . You are a special case. Your awakening directly replaced your mana with Origin Power, an event that has never been recorded before in the System's database.]
After reading the System's explanation, Alex felt a surge of anger rise in his chest.
"So I'm the only one with this power… and yet I can't even use it?" he muttered bitterly. "What kind of bullshit awakening is this?"
He stared at the glowing blue screen for a long moment, frustration clear on his face. Being told that Origin Power was something only primordial creatures normally wielded made him feel both special and incredibly handicapped at the same time.
Eventually, he let out a long sigh and gave up arguing with the System.
"Fine… it looks like the only realistic way is to use Targeted Growth while meditating to deepen my understanding of this weird power."
But as soon as he thought about starting right away, another problem hit him.
His Soul Power was still only at 5.1. The System had warned him before that using skills with soul power lower like that is dangerous and he still needed another 12 hours to fully recover — plus wasting another 1 unit of Origin Power — to bring it back to a truly safe and stable level by tomorrow.
"If I push it now, I might damage my soul even more…" he muttered, rubbing his temples.
Alex glanced around the moonlit clearing one last time, then shook his head.
"No point forcing it tonight. I'll rest properly and start serious training tomorrow."
He stood up, brushed the grass off his clothes, and quietly returned to his room through the window. After washing up quickly, he collapsed onto his bed, feeling both mentally and physically drained from the day's events.
It didn't take long for sleep to claim him.